Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify the characteristics of the millennials segment that is most likely to cause a significant disruption in the way the tourism sector is currently ...structured. A profile of this segment has been developed along with an analysis of the marketing implications for destinations and tourism providers.
Design/methodology/approach
The research involved examining academic, institutional and trade literature to provide an overview of the millennials profile and the related developments causing disruptive changes in the tourism sector.
Findings
The characteristics of the millennials with the greatest potential to disrupt the tourism sector are their strong digital skills, high degree of permanent connectivity, search for outstanding experiences and altruistic behaviours. The results already present from these characteristics – with a high probability of intensifying in the future – are the practice of volunteer tourism, search for places not connected with tourism and adoption of new, disruptive technologies. Even though volunteer tourism is an act of altruism, it can have harmful implications for tourist destinations in which it occurs. In addition, tourist invasions of places traditionally occupied only by residents can lead to the removal of locals from these places, manifestations of “tourismphobia” and ultimately degradation of these tourists’ experiences. Finally, the adoption of disruptive technologies by tourism agents to fulfil the millennials’ demands for immediate responses reduces human interactions highly valued by millennials and, therefore, requires close monitoring.
Originality/value
This study’s value arises from its systematic identification of the millennials characteristics that are most likely to disrupt the tourism sector’s functioning, allowing the relevant stakeholders to adopt proactive strategies, minimise potential negative impacts and maximise opportunities.
The adsorption geometries of the antibiotics tetracycline, levofloxacin and benzylpenicillin on the surfaces of silver nanoparticles were investigated by SERS spectroscopy. Display omitted
...•Levofloxacin adsorbs strongly on silver surface by carboxylate moiety.•Tetracycline adsorbs strongly on silver surface by carbonyl and hydroxyl moieties.•Benzylpenicillin adsorbs weakly on silver surface by carbonyl from acyclic amide.•SERS spectroscopy is outstanding technique for molecular adsorption analysis.
In this work the adsorption of the antibiotics levofloxacin (LV), tetracycline (TC) and benzylpenicillin (BP) on the surface of silver nanoparticles (AgNP) have been investigated through both surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) and UV–VIS–NIR spectroscopies. The SERS spectra were obtained using 1064nm exciting radiation. Theoretical models for the antibiotic molecules were obtained from DFT calculations, and used in the vibrational assignment. The adsorption geometries were proposed based on the changes in the spectral patterns. The LV compound adsorbs through carboxylate group, TC compound interacts with silver atoms through carbonyl from intermediate ring, and BP compound adsorbs by carbonyl moieties from carboxylate and acyclic amide.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK
The urinary microbiota of patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has been associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS), however, little is known about urinary microbiota correlations ...with clinicopathological parameters associated with BPH. Here, we investigate associations between the urinary microbiota and clinical parameters of patients with BPH undergoing surgery.
Forty-one patients with BPH undergoing surgery were recruited from two medical centers. Catheterized urine specimens were collected and the microbiota was characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Patients were segregated into two groups according to each clinical parameter and differences in urinary microbiota diversity and composition were evaluated.
Higher prostate weight and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were associated with higher alpha diversity in the urinary microbiota of BPH patients. At the specific microbe level, we found that the greater the prostatic weight, the lower the relative abundance of Streptococcus, while the greater the PSA levels, the higher the abundance of Lactobacillus. Treatment with 5-α-reductase inhibitor was associated with overall urinary microbiota composition, in part due to a higher abundance of Corynebacterium and Anaerococcus in this group.
We demonstrated that the urinary microbiota of BPH patients is associated with clinicopathological features, paving the way for larger studies in which causality between urinary microbiota and BPH can be appropriately explored.
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FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
There are no clinical interventions to prevent post-injury epilepsy, a common and devastating outcome after brain insults. Epileptogenic events that run from brain injury to epilepsy are poorly ...understood. Previous studies in our laboratory suggested Proechimys, an exotic Amazonian rodent, as resistant to acquired epilepsy development in post-status epilepticus models. The present comparative study was conducted to assess (1) stroke-related brain responses 24-h and 30 days after cortical photothrombosis and (2) post-stroke epilepsy between Proechimys rodents and Wistar rats, a traditional animal used for laboratory research. Proechimys group showed smaller volume of ischemic infarction and lesser glial activation than Wistar group. In contrast to Wistar rats, post-stroke decreased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and increased levels of anti-inflammatory mediators and growth factors were found in Proechimys. Electrophysiological signaling changes assessed by cortical spreading depression, in vitro and in vivo, showed that Wistar's brain is most severely affected by stroke. Chronic electrocorticographic recordings showed that injury did not lead to epilepsy in Proechimys whereas 88% of the Wistar rats developed post-stroke epilepsy. Science gains insights from comparative studies on diverse species. Proechimys rodents proved to be a useful animal model to study antiepileptogenic mechanisms after brain insults and complement conventional animal models.
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IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) accounts for the vast majority of cases of lung neoplasms. It is formed in multiple stages, with interactions between environmental risk factors and individual ...genetic susceptibility and with genes involved in the immune and inflammatory response paths, cell or genome stability, and metabolism, among others. Our objective was to evaluate the association between five genetic variants (
,
,
,
and
) and the development of NSCLC in the Brazilian Amazon. The study included 263 individuals with and without lung cancer. The samples were analyzed for the genetic variants of
(rs28362491),
(rs11267092),
(rs17878362),
(rs3783553), and
(INDEL 45-bp), which were genotyped in PCR, followed by an analysis of the fragments, in which we applied a previously developed set of informative ancestral markers. We used a logistic regression model to identify differences in the allele and the genotypic frequencies among individuals and their association with NSCLC. The variables of gender, age, and smoking were controlled in the multivariate analysis to prevent confusion by association. The individuals that were homozygous for the Del/Del of polymorphism
(rs28362491) (
= 0.018; OR = 0.332) demonstrate a significant association with NSCLC, which was similar to that observed in the variants of
(rs11267092) (
= 0.023; OR = 0.471) and
(rs17878362) (
= 0.041; OR = 0.510). Moreover, the individuals with the Ins/Ins genotype of polymorphism
(rs3783553) demonstrated greater risk for NSCLC (
= 0.033; OR = 2.002), as did the volunteers with the Del/Del of
(INDEL 45-bp) (
= 0.031; OR = 2.031). The five polymorphisms investigated can contribute towards NSCLC susceptibility in the population of the Brazilian Amazon.
The ability of using non-expensive ultrasound (US) image data together with computer fluid simulation to access various severities of carotid stenosis was inquired in this study. Subject-specific ...hemodynamic conditions were simulated using a developed finite element solver. Individual structured meshing of the common carotid artery (CCA) bifurcation was built from segmented longitudinal and cross-sectional US images; imposed boundary velocities were based on Doppler US measurements. Simulated hemodynamic parameters such as velocities, wall shear stress (WSS) and derived descriptors were able to predict disturbed flow conditions which play an important role in the development of local atherosclerotic plaques. Hemodynamic features from six individual CCA bifurcations were analyzed. High values of time-averaged WSS (TAWSS) were found at stenosis site. Low values of TAWSS were found at the bulb and at the carotid internal and external branches depending on the particular features of each patient. High oscillating shear index and relative residence time values assigned highly disturbed flows at the same artery surface regions that correlate only moderately with low TAWSS results. Based on clinic US examinations, results provide estimates of flow changes and forces at the carotid artery wall toward the link between hemodynamic behavior and stenosis pathophysiology.
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CEKLJ, DOBA, EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, IZUM, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, VSZLJ, ZAGLJ
This work delves into the increasing relevance of Large Language Models (LLMs) in the realm of sustainable policy-making, proposing an innovative hetero-intelligence framework that blends human and ...artificial intelligence (AI) for tackling modern sustainability challenges. The research methodology includes a hetero-intelligence performance test, which juxtaposes human intelligence with AI in the formulation and implementation of sustainable policies. After testing this hetero-intelligence methodology, seven steps are rigorously described so that it can be replicated in any sustainability planning related context. The results underscore the capabilities and limitations of LLMs, underscoring the critical role of human intelligence in enhancing the efficacy of hetero-intelligence systems. This work fulfils the need of a rigorous methodological framework based on empirical steps that can provide unbiased outcomes to be integrated into sustainable planning and decision-making processes.•Assesses LLMs’ limitations and capabilities regarding sustainable planning issues•A replicable methodology is proposed based on the combination of both human and artificial intelligence•It proposes and systematises the integration of a hetero-intelligent approach into the formulation of sustainability policies to be more efficient and effective
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The purpose of this study was to determine if in ovo feeding and rearing with glycosaminoglycans and vitamin C could influence bone and cartilage macroscopy, mineral composition, mineral density and ...surface area, bone breaking strength, and bone histology in broilers. Fertile eggs from breeders (Cobb) were either uninjected or injected with 4 μg of additive/100 μL water on day 4 of incubation. Every 100 g of in ovo additive contained 30 g of chondroitin sulfate, 30 g of glucosamine, and 5 g of vitamin C. After hatching, the chicks from both incubation treatments were submitted to additional treatments during the growth phase from 1 to 42 D of age (diet without and with 0.74 g of additive/kg of feed). Every 100 kg of feed contained 30 g of glucosamine sulfate, 24 g of chondroitin sulfate, and 20 g of vitamin C. A completely randomized factorial design (2 × 2) was applied. The data were submitted to variance analysis using the general linear model procedure of SAS (SAS Institute). In ovo feeding with 4 μg of additive plus dietary supplementation with 0.74 g of additive/kg of feed resulted in the highest cartilage weight of the femur proximal epiphysis in birds (P = 0.0098). The highest ash, phosphorus and calcium percentage, mineral density and mineral composition were identified for femur and tibia in the following treatments: in ovo feeding plus diet without additive during rearing, or uninjected eggs plus dietary supplementation during rearing. In ovo feeding with 4 μg of the additive reduced (P = 0.0008) the number of chondrocytes in the proximal epiphysis of the tibia cartilage and increased (P < 0.0001) the number of osteocytes in the tibia diaphysis of broilers. We conclude that in ovo feeding or dietary supplementation during broiler rearing with glycosaminoglycans (chondroitin sulfate and glucosamine sulfate) and vitamin C benefits the development of bird bones and cartilage, and may represent a solution to bone problems in broilers.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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